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<title>The Compare Utility (Diff) [Enterprise Architect User Guide]</title>

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                  <p class="p_Heading1"><span class="f_Heading1">The Compare Utility (Diff)</span></p>



  
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<td valign="bottom" width="955" bgcolor="#efeff7" style="width:955px; background-color:#efeff7;"><p class="p_TiporNote" style="border-top: none; border-right: none; border-left: none;"><span class="f_TiporNote">Note:</span></p>
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<td width="955" bgcolor="#f7f7ff" style="width:955px; background-color:#f7f7ff;"><p class="p_TiporNoteText"><span class="f_TiporNoteText">This utility is available in the Professional, </span><span class="f_TiporNoteText">Corporate, Business and Software Engineering, System Engineering and Ultimate editions</span><span class="f_TiporNoteText"> of Enterprise Architect.</span></p>
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<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">Enterprise Architect has a comprehensive and powerful differencing utility built in. This utility enables you to compare a model branch in Enterprise Architect with:</span></p>
<ul style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 30px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">A Baseline created using the Baseline functionality (</span><span class="f_Bulletlist1">Corporate, Business and Software Engineering, System Engineering and Ultimate editions</span><span class="f_Bulletlist1">)</span></li>
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">A Baseline stored in a</span><span class="f_Bulletlist1" style="font-style: italic;"> different</span><span class="f_Bulletlist1"> model</span></li>
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">A file on disk created previously using the Enterprise Architect XML export facility (user selects file), or</span></li>
<li><span class="f_Bulletlist1">The current version-controlled XMI file on disk as created when using Version Control in Enterprise Architect (file automatically selected).</span></li>
</ul>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-style: italic;">Compare</span><span class="f_BodyText"> (</span><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-style: italic;">diff</span><span class="f_BodyText">) lets you explore what has changed within a model over time and how previous versions of a model branch differ from what is currently in the model. It is even possible to do a full model comparison by exporting all of Model A to XMI, then using </span><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-weight: bold;">Compare to File</span><span class="f_BodyText"> from within the current model (Model B).</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">Comparing and checking model development at various points in the process is an important aspect of managing change and development, keeping track of what is being modified and ensuring the development and design process is on track.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">Access to the </span><span class="f_BodyText" style="font-style: italic;">Compare</span><span class="f_BodyText"> utility is available from:</span></p>
<ol style="text-indent: 0px; margin-left: 48px; list-style-position: outside;">
<li value=1><span class="f_NumberedList">The </span><span class="f_UIControl"><a href="managingbaselines.htm">Baseline</a></span><span class="f_NumberedList"><a href="managingbaselines.htm"> dialog</a>; from the </span><span class="f_UIControl">Project Browser</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> context menu, select the </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Package Control | Manage Baselines </span><span class="f_NumberedList">option.</span></li>
<li value=2><span class="f_NumberedList">The </span><span class="f_UIControl">Project Browser</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> context menu; select </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Package Control | Compare with XMI File </span><span class="f_NumberedList">(for a package not under version control).</span></li>
<li value=3><span class="f_NumberedList">The </span><span class="f_UIControl">Project Browser</span><span class="f_NumberedList"> context menu; select </span><span class="f_MenuKeyField">Package Control | Compare with Controlled Version </span><span class="f_NumberedList">(for a package under version control).</span></li>
</ol>
<p class="p_SubHeadingL1"><span class="f_SubHeadingL1">Differencing With Baselines</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">As a Baseline is stored within a model and contains all the information, elements and connections for a package at a point in time, it can be used within Enterprise Architect to track changes to model elements over time. The Differencing engine first builds a representation of the current package in memory, based on what is currently in the model. It then compares this with the stored Baseline, highlighting changes, new elements, missing elements and elements that have been moved to other packages. It is possible to <a href="compare_options.htm">filter the resultant output</a> to display only one particular kind of change: for example, additions to the model.</span></p>
<p class="p_BodyText"><span class="f_BodyText">See <a href="examplecomparison.htm">Example Comparison</a> for an example of a model comparison.</span></p>




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